Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2009-10: Drafted by the Kitchener Rangers in the 8th round (143rd overall) in the 2009 OHL Priority Draft, Ben Thomson skated in 46 games for Kitchener in his first season and represented Ontario in the 2010 U17 World Hockey Challenge. He scored 6 goals with 6 assists and was plus-2 with 30 penalty minutes. Kitchener finished second in the Midwest Division and reached the playoff semifinals. Thomson skated in 11 of 20 playoff games and was an even plus/minus with 1 assist and 6 penalty minutes. In six games for silver medal-winning Canada Ontario at the U17 WHC he scored 1 goal with 1 assist and had 2 penalty minutes.

2010-11: Thomson provided a physical presence to a Kitchener lineup with several high profile offensive prospects in his second season with the Rangers. One of three players to play in all 68 games, he had the third-most penalty minutes (107) for Kitchener and finished minus-7; scoring 6 goals with 13 assists. Kitchener again finished second in the Midwest Division and fell to Plymouth in a first round playoff series. Thomson skated in all seven games and had 1 assist with 6 penalty minutes. He was ranked 146th amongst North American skaters in Central Scouting’s final rankings prior to the 2011 NHL Draft but was not selected in his first year of eligibility.

2011-12: Thomson displayed some play-making ability to go along with his physical presence and had the Rangers’ third-best plus/minus (plus-21) in his third OHL season with Kitchener. In 67 games he scored 11 goals with 30 assists and was second on the team with 137 penalty minutes. Kitchener reached the playoff semifinals after finishing second to OHL champion London in the Midwest Division. In 16 playoff games Thomson scored 5 goals with 5 assists and was minus-5 with 36 penalty minutes. Not among the 210 North American skaters in Central Scouting’s final rankings, Thomson was selected by New Jersey in the fourth round (96th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft.

2012-13: Thomson was an assistant captain for Kitchener in his fourth OHL season. He scored a career-high 15 goals and again led the Rangers with 119 penalty minutes; finishing minus-3 with 17 assists in 67 games. Kitchener finished third in the Midwest Division and reached the second round in the playoffs. Thomson scored 1 goal with 2 assists and was minus-1 with 18 penalty minutes in 10 playoff games.

2013-14: Thomson attended training camp with New Jersey before being returned to Kitchener for an overage season in the OHL. Acquired by North Bay in a November trade, he was named an alternate captain and had a big role in the Battalion’s run to the OHL Finals. After scoring 3 goals with 3 assists in 12 games with the Rangers he scored 24 goals with 15 assists and was plus-20 with 56 penalty minutes in 43 regular season games for North Bay. North Bay finished first in the Central Division — sweeping Oshawa in the Western Conference finals before falling to Guelph in the OHL finals. Thomson scored 5 goals with 9 assists and was plus-5 with 64 penalty minutes in 22 playoff games. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with New Jersey in May 2014.

2014-15: Thomson made his pro hockey debut as a 21-year-old, skating in 67 games for New Jersey AHL affiliate Albany in his first pro season. He scored 8 goals with 8 assists and was -2, finishing second to Dan Kelly on the Devils with 97 penalty minutes. Albany finished fourth in the Northeast Division, missing the AHL playoffs.

Talent Analysis

Thomson's bread and butter is his size and physicality. That makes him very effective along the boards and in the corners as he is nearly impossible to knock off the puck when he is in on the cycle. He will never be confused as a player with a lot of natural puck skills and creativity, but his presence down-low allows him to fight for garbage goals. He does skate well for his size, is responsible defensively and will not hesitate to drop the gloves when the time calls for it.

Future

Thomson is skating with New Jersey AHL affiliate Albany in 2015-16. In the second year of his original three-year entry-level contract, he is again providing physical play and some supplemental scoring in a lower line role for the club. Not likely to be a big scorer in the pro game, he uses his size to advantage and figures to be a hard edge lower line player who does the dirty jobs necessary to help his team win.

Photo: Pavel Zacha was named to the 2014-15 OHL First All-Rookie Team after scoring 34 points in 37 games. (Courtesy of (CHL Images)

The winds of change have swept across the entire New Jersey Devils organization. General Manager Ray Shero and Head Coach John Hynes are relying on the organization’s stash of underrated prospects to rise to the challenge during this transitional period. Most of these players saw this new attack-oriented system firsthand at Development Camp in July, and are all in favor of the change. Read more»

Photo: Damon Severson had 12 points in 32 games before being sidelined with an ankle injury. (Image courtesy of Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

Unless the New Jersey Devils go on a miracle run, the club will miss the postseason for the fourth time in the last five seasons. Change is imminent as the oldest team in the NHL will need to replace departing veterans with younger players. Read more»

Photo: Forward Reid Boucher is one of the more promising forwards in the New Jersey Devils prospect pool. Boucher started the 2014-15 season in the AHL, but should be among the first forwards recalled by the Devils in case of injury. (courtesy of Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

Since the 2004 lockout, the New Jersey Devils system has not produced the same quality of prospects they were known for during their glory days. This is a result of different issues, like lack of picks, location on the draft board, or losing the magic touch to find late-round gems. But over the past seven years, management has slowly restocked the prospect pool where depth and quality are now returning NHL ready players.

Photo: Forward Ben Thomson played a key part of North Bay’s deep run through the OHL playoffs. New Jersey signed Thomson to an entry-level deal on May 23rd, 2014. (courtesy of Terry Wilson/OHL Images)

While the New Jersey Devils missed the 2013-14 NHL playoffs, quite a few of their prospects had impactful postseasons. Their AHL affiliate reached the playoffs for the first time since 2010, giving many pro prospects their first taste of the postseason. Other players at lower levels, such as Damon Severson and Ben Thomson, also had strong playoff performances.